StoneMor Partners, the Philadelphia based funeral home and cemetery limited partnership that is publicly traded, issued some interesting news this week. First of all, CEO Larry Miller, one of the firm’s founders has announced his resignation effective on August 31, 2017, or when a replacement is named. Secondly, according to an article in www.philly.com, the…
A really interesting question and answer interview appeared in the Spokane based Spokesman-Review recently. The interview was with Hennessey Funeral Home and Crematory Managing partner Scott Dahl and is very comprehensive on his management style, philosophy, and the nature of funeral service in the Pacific Northwest. Dahl, who originally received a communications degree, touches on…
For those of you who have actually sat in the arrangement conference room the above headline probably is no surprise. A press release from Response Source, who is advocating on the part of Pure Cremation, is an interesting read on how arguments over funeral arrangements can happen. According to the release one of the top…
I recently ran across an article from the Straits Times of Singapore featuring the young life history of Mr. Shane Teo who is an embalming apprentice with one of the largest companies in Singapore, Ang Chin Moh. In reading the article, and I don’t pretend to know a great deal of the culture in Singapore,…
A nice article has appeared in the Valley News Dispatch concerning Raymond J. Slater IV and his wife, Molly, and their ambitions in purchasing the defunct Krupa Funeral Home in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and their methods of renovating in order to open their own funeral service business. According to the article the Krupa Funeral Home…
BUSINESS
Knowing the value of the “Front-Line” worker
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had the opportunity to visit with many from the “Death Care” or “Funeral” industry. Those discussions made me realize that our profession has came a long…
Banks report “Weaker loan demand”, Consumers pull back on credit: What does that mean for your funeral home?
During this week I read two articles and when I did I wondered how the subject of each might affect funeral homes and the funeral business going forward. The articles included this one…
The “Tom Johnson Memorial Classic” raises over $150k in three days
Last week I again had the privilige to attend what is now known as the “Tom Johnson Memorial Classic“. The “Classic” is part golf, part Death Care, but is really all about “Relationship…
FINANCE
Security National Financial Cemetery/Mortuary earnings rise 71%
There is no other way to say it other than to say that Security National Financial Corporation (SNFC) had a blow-out 1st Quarter of 2024 when it comes to Earnings. The company’s Earnings…
SCI settles California issue, looks forward to moving ahead with insurance funded preneed there
Earlier in May the Attorney General of the State of California issued a press release which you can read here announcing an agreement with Service Corporation International (SCI) over an eight-year dispute on…
Park Lawn enters 2024 “Leaner” and more reliant on the “Funeral side”
Park Lawn Corporation revealed their 1st Quarter of 2024 financials last week and you can access them here. The 1st Quarter of 2024 marks the first quarter of operations for the company coming…
REGULATIONS
SCI settles California issue, looks forward to moving ahead with insurance funded preneed there
Earlier in May the Attorney General of the State of California issued a press release which you can read here announcing an agreement with Service Corporation International (SCI) over an eight-year dispute on…
Federal Trade Commission bans “Non-Compete” agreements
“This rule affects every segment of the American economy and in a simple 3-2 vote destroys billions of dollars in value that employers have spent in compensation for a covenant not to compete”. …
Dignity, care, and respect. . . bringing the fallen home
On Saturday night I was at a movie, came home and turned the television on to catch the news and learned of the missile bombardment of Israel that Iran took responsibility for. Now,…
CEMETERY
Here’s a unique way to blend land preservation with urn burials
Funeral directing company A.W. Lymn of Nottinghamshire, Great Britain, has been giving the green light to construct an ancient style facility for the disposition of cremated human remains. As this article maintains, “they…
County governments seem to have lots of problems, are human remains another one?
Funeral Director Daily recently learned through this article from Public Media for Central Pennyslvania that Centre County will be building a 160-unit columbarium in Zion, Pennsylvania, to house urns that have went…
America’s military cemeteries face financial backlog for upkeep and improvements
Kansas United States Senator Jerry Moran recently testified at a United States Senate Veterans Affairs Committee meeting that “When mourning a death the last thing a grieving family needs is some bureaucratic hurdle…
CREMATION
Here’s a unique way to blend land preservation with urn burials
Funeral directing company A.W. Lymn of Nottinghamshire, Great Britain, has been giving the green light to construct an ancient style facility for the disposition of cremated human remains. As this article maintains, “they…
Our take: Post-Cremation products are here to stay
One of my friends attended the latest convention of the International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association (ICCFA) and reported to me that “there were a crazy amount of post-cremation product vendors exhibiting available options”. And,…
Take a cue from Apple. . . Sell more services
Apple has been seeing sales of its iPhone declining. The product, which makes up about 1/2 of the company’s sales, dropped in sales revenue another 10% in the last quarter according to…
PRENEED
SCI settles California issue, looks forward to moving ahead with insurance funded preneed there
Earlier in May the Attorney General of the State of California issued a press release which you can read here announcing an agreement with Service Corporation International (SCI) over an eight-year dispute on…
Banks report “Weaker loan demand”, Consumers pull back on credit: What does that mean for your funeral home?
During this week I read two articles and when I did I wondered how the subject of each might affect funeral homes and the funeral business going forward. The articles included this one…
Take Ring Ring Marketing for a Test Drive
When it comes to technology I am a confessed “Novice”. And personally, with Social Media I am pretty quiet too. . . . or maybe my life is dull enough that none of…
PRODUCTS
Here’s a unique way to blend land preservation with urn burials
Funeral directing company A.W. Lymn of Nottinghamshire, Great Britain, has been giving the green light to construct an ancient style facility for the disposition of cremated human remains. As this article maintains, “they…
Our take: Post-Cremation products are here to stay
One of my friends attended the latest convention of the International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association (ICCFA) and reported to me that “there were a crazy amount of post-cremation product vendors exhibiting available options”. And,…
Take a cue from Apple. . . Sell more services
Apple has been seeing sales of its iPhone declining. The product, which makes up about 1/2 of the company’s sales, dropped in sales revenue another 10% in the last quarter according to…
